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This podcast promotes personal growth, empathic connections, critical thinking and freedom from both inner as well as from outer shackles.
I believe that freedom is not only attainable but is also a necessary prerequisite for human flourishing on the face of our planet.
Join me in exploring this profound topic through various lenses including the psychological, philosophical, historical, and economic with the hope that in this process we can develop and discover an embodied philosophy of freedom.
Episodes
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Episode 024: Schooling vs. Education - part 1Episode description: In this episode I explore the implicit beliefs that must be held in order to advocate for compulsory schooling, how those become the field, the ground on which schooling takes place. I further explore the goals of a state compulsory school system and hope to show how real learning is self directed while state compulsory schooling is antithetical to learning and growth. Source reading: Anxiety by Fritz Riemann The Drama of Being a Child by Alice Miller Education - Free and Compulsory by Murray N. Rothbard Compulsory Miseducation by Paul Goodman Dumbing Us Down by John Taylor Gatto Freedom's Progress? by Gerard Casey
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Episode 023: My army daysEpisode description: Having delved into the philosophy of Gestalt for the past few episodes, in this episode I chose to share something about my own personal story, in particular about my army days. I aim to integrate many of the things that I have discussed in the Gestalt series (episodes 11-22) in this episode and see how they apply in my own personal story.
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Episode 022: Creative indifferenceEpisode description: In this final episode in our Gestalt series we take a close look at one of the central notions of Gestalt philosophy - creative indifference, exploring its relevance to the curious case of freedom. Sources reading: Gestalt therapy, excitement and growth in the human personality by Fritz Perls, Paul Goodman and Ralph Hefferline. When the body says no by Gabor Máté Gestalt and process by Peter Dreitzel
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Episode 021: The importance of boundariesEpisode description: In this episode continuing our gestalt series, we take a closer look at two contact interruptions, or rather contact moderations: Confluence and deflection. Both have to do with the permeability of our boundaries, both are forms of creative adjustments, and as such are vital to our being-in-the-world, and both, when they become fixed and rigid forms of behaviour stand in our way of living freely in the here and now. Sources reading: Gestalt therapy, excitement and growth in the human personality by Fritz Perls, Paul Goodman and Ralph Hefferline. When the body says no by Gabor Máté Gestalt and process by Peter Dreitzel
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Episode 020: The body as the disowned selfEpisode description: In this episode we continue our gestalt series, and delve further into the world of polarities, observing how we fracture ourselves into a mind and a body. The body then takes the role of the disowned self. Since freedom starts with the individual, I believe that healing the fractured self is a vital step that can help us pave the way to a free society. Sources reading: Gestalt therapy, excitement and growth in the human personality by Fritz Perls, Paul Goodman and Ralph Hefferline Creative Process in Gestalt Therapy by Joseph Zinker Body Process by James I. Kepner
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Episode 019: Polarities (part 2)Episode description: We continue in our series on Gestalt therapy, using the Gestalt lens to look at the development of the individual and society and the relationship between the two. Today we focus on polarities: the yin and yang of our existence. Enjoy Sources reading: Gestalt therapy, excitement and growth in the human personality by Fritz Perls, Paul Goodman and Ralph Hefferline. Creative Process in Gestalt Therapy by Joseph Zinker Body Process by James I. Kepner
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Episode 018: Polarities (part 1)Episode description: We continue in our series on Gestalt therapy, using the Gestalt lens to look at the development of the individual and society and the relationship between the two. Today we focus on polarities: the yin and yang of our existence. Enjoy Sources reading: Gestalt therapy, excitement and growth in the human personality by Fritz Perls, Paul Goodman and Ralph Hefferline. Creative Process in Gestalt Therapy by Joseph Zinker Body Process by James I. Kepner
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Episode 017: The dog that bit his own tailEpisode description: We continue in our series on Gestalt therapy, using the Gestalt lens to look at the development of the individual and society and the relationship between the two. Today we focus on Retroflection: the psychological mechanism which I use to divert the energy that I wish to direct towards the environment back onto myself. Sources reading: Gestalt therapy, excitement and growth in the human personality by Fritz Perls, Paul Goodman and Ralph Hefferline.Grass unter meinen Füssen by Bruno-Paul de Rock. Gestalt and Process, clinical diagnosis in gestalt therapy, a field guide by Hans Peter Dreitzel. Owning your own shadow by Robert A. Johnson
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Episode 016: Psychology of the status quo (part 2)Episode description: We continue in our series on Gestalt therapy, using the Gestalt lens to look at the development of the individual and society and the relationship between the two. Today we continue focusing on Introjection as a contact interruption, how are introjects formed, and how they contribute to the preservation of the status quo. Sources reading: Gestalt therapy, excitement and growth in the human personality by Fritz Perls, Paul Goodman and Ralph Hefferline. Grass unter meinen Füssen by Bruno-Paul de Rock. Gestalt and Process, clinical diagnosis in gestalt therapy, a field guide by Hans Peter Dreitzel.
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Episode 015: Psychology of the status quo (part1)Episode description: We continue in our series on Gestalt therapy, using the Gestalt lens to look at the development of the individual and society and the relationship between the two. Today we continue focusing on Introjection as a contact interruption, how are introjects formed, and how they contribute to the preservation of the status quo. Sources reading: Gestalt therapy, excitement and growth in the human personality by Fritz Perls, Paul Goodman and Ralph Hefferline. Grass unter meinen Füssen by Bruno-Paul de Rock. Gestalt and Process, clinical diagnosis in gestalt therapy, a field guide by Hans Peter Dreitzel.
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Episode 014: The rhythm of the selfEpisode description: We continue in our series on Gestalt therapy, viewing the self through the lens of the the philosophy of Gestalt, and exploring how we can extrapolate from that understanding of self as a creative dynamic process to society at large. Sources reading: Gestalt therapy, excitement and growth in the human personality by Fritz Perls, Paul Goodman and Ralph Hefferline. Grass unter meinen Füssen by Bruno-Paul de Rock. Gestalt and Process, clinical diagnosis in gestalt therapy, a field guide by Hans Peter Dreitzel.
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Episode 013: The birth of neurosisEpisode description: We continue in our series about Gestalt therapy, exploring the origins and formation of neuroses. Sources reading: Gestalt therapy, excitement and growth in the human personality by Fritz Perls, Paul Goodman and Ralph Hefferline. Grass unter meinen Füssen by Bruno-Paul de Rock. Gestalt and Process, clinical diagnosis in gestalt therapy, a field guide by Hans Peter Dreitzel.
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Episode 012: An introduction to Gestalt therapy (part 2)Episode description: In this episode we explore the concept of polarities, in particular health and illness as well as security and exploration with an attempt to reconcile between seemingly opposing human needs. Sources reading: Gestalt therapy, excitement and growth in the human personality by Fritz Perls, Paul Goodman and Ralph Hefferline. Grass unter meinen Füssen by Bruno-Paul de Rock. Gestalt and Process, clinical diagnosis in gestalt therapy, a field guide by Hans Peter Dreitzel.
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Episode 011: An introduction to Gestalt therapy (part 1)Episode description: This is part one of an introduction to Gestalt therapy, I am not sure yet how many episodes I will devote explicitly to the theory behind gestalt, but as it is an important part of my life, we will surely revisit it many times. As I am training in Gestalt therapy at the moment, this is a great opportunity for me to try and consolidate what I have learnt by presenting it here. Sources reading: Gestalt therapy, excitement and growth in the human personality by Fritz Perls, Paul Goodman and Ralph Hefferline. Grass unter meinen Füssen by Bruno-Paul de Rock. Gestalt and Process, clinical diagnosis in gestalt therapy, a field guide by Hans Peter Dreitzel.
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Episode 010: Our mother - the StateEpisode description: In this episode we explore the similarities as well as the differences between the family unit and the State, drawing from child development research, and Gestalt therapy. Source reading: The Drama of Being a Child by Alice Miller: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drama-Being-Child-Search-True/dp/1860491014 Gestalt Therapy, excitement and growth in the human personality by Frederick Perls, Ralph. F Hefferline and Paul Goodman: https://www.amazon.com/Gestalt-Therapy-Excitement-Growth-Personality/dp/0939266245 Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0743487486/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vamf_tkin_p1_i0 How to talk so kids will listen and listen so kids will talk: https://www.orellfuessli.ch/shop/home/artikeldetails/A1040990291?ProvID=10917736&gclid=CjwKCAjw14uVBhBEEiwAaufYx01bTAC-skyTuXk0B5iyQh-cueRjzJBV0lKjkN9siZFNdhG6x2orsRoCzD8QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
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Episode 009: Unmasking the StateEpisode description: In this episode we explore what sets the State apart from other institutions in society. Source reading: Anatomy of the State by Murray N. Rothbard: https://mises.org/library/anatomy-state
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Episode 008: Law and order without the StateEpisode description: In this episode we explore historical examples as well as currant ones where law and order was and is provided with absence of State intervention. Source reading: Samuel 1, 8: Property Rights in Celtic Irish Law by Joseph R. Peden: [Property Rights in Celtic Irish Law | Mises Institute](https://mises.org/library/property-rights-celtic-irish-law-0) Private creation and enforcement of Law by David Friedman: [Private Creation and Enforcement of Law: A Historical Case](http://www.daviddfriedman.com/Academic/Iceland/Iceland.html) An American experiment in Anarcho-Capitalism: The Not So Wild, Wild West [American Experiment in Anarcho-Capitalism: The Not So Wild, Wild West | Mises Institute](https://mises.org/library/american-experiment-anarcho-capitalism-not-so-wild-wild-west) The obviousness of Anarchy by John Hasnas: [the-obviousness-of-anarchy](https://fiatjaf.com/the-obviousness-of-anarchy.pdf) Police, Law, and the Courts by Murray Rothbard: [12. The Public Sector, III: Police, Law, and the Courts | Mises Institute](https://mises.org/library/12-public-sector-iii-police-law-and-courts) The Production of Security by Gustave de Molinari: [Gustave de Molinari - The Production of Security](https://praxeology.net/GM-PS.htm) The Machinery of Freedom by David Friedman: [The_Machinery_of_Freedom_](http://www.daviddfriedman.com/The_Machinery_of_Freedom_.pdf)
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Episode 007: No gods, no mastersEpisode description: In this episode we take a look at how narratives and story telling shape our view of the world. How seeing people as being either good or bad is dangerously oversimplified, especially when we ignore the mechanisms that allow people to do so much harm even with the best of intentions. This episode touches on a few topics that have been discussed in episode 006, but I believe that they are worth revisiting. Source reading: Foundation for Economic Education (fee.org) Out of Frame YouTube series: https://www.youtube.com/c/FEEonline The Man Versus the State by Herbert Spencer: http://files.libertyfund.org/files/330/0020_Bk.pdf No Treason, the constitution of no authority by Lysander Spooner: https://oll-resources.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/oll3/store/titles/2194/Spooner_1485_Bk.pdf
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Episode 006: Questioning political authorityEpisode description: In this episode we explore some seldom asked questions about the nature of political authority. Concentrating on Democracy and the will of the people, while attempting to learn from interpersonal relationships (the micro) and to apply our observations on society (the macro). Source reading: The discovery of freedom by Rose Wilder Lane: https://archive.org/details/TheDiscoveryOfFreedom2/page/n1/mode/2up The Law by Frédéric Bastiat: https://www.sjsu.edu/people/john.estill/courses/158-s15/The%20Law%20-%20Bastiat.pdf The body keeps the score by Bessel Van Der Kolk: https://www.amazon.com/Body-Keeps-Score-Healing-Trauma/dp/0143127748
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Episode 005: The law perverted!Episode description: In this fifth episode we take a closer look at what happens when law becomes a political instrument. This episode was inspired by the book The Law by Frédéric Bastiat: https://www.sjsu.edu/people/john.estill/courses/158-s15/The%20Law%20-%20Bastiat.pdf
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Episode 004: How we bind each otherEpisode description: In this fourth episode we take a closer look at what shackles we use to bind each other with, keeping in mind that whenever we attempt to control our fellow humans, we contribute to the same mechanisms that end up binding us as well.
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Episode 003: What do I mean when I say freedomEpisode description: In this third episode I offer a term clarification of the word freedom in a moral context. Observing the free individual, the slave and the tyrant, with a short look at Robinson Crusoe and Friday. Influenced by: Robert LeFevre - Commentaries
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Episode 002: The curious case of freedom (Introduction)Episode description: In this second episode of The Curious Case of Freedom we explore different contexts in which the concept of freedom may be relevant.
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Episode 001: Why is freedom so important to meEpisode description: In this first episode of The Curious Case of Freedom we concentrate on a personal question; Why is freedom so important to me. And start our exploration of how we keep ourselves from being free. Considering both inner and outer shackles.
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